Thousands of Chinese nationals are leaving Cambodia after the government implemented an online betting ban. Authorities introduced the ban to reduce the number of crimes committed by Chinese nationals.
Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the online betting ban in the country to ensure public order and security. He told pay per head bookie experts that some licensed operators rigged their games. Then they will threaten people who can’t repay their debts.
Some Chinese nationals use online gambling to cheat their fellow countrymen, both inside and outside Cambodia. The Royal Government decided to stop issuing licenses for online gambling companies. In addition, it will not renew existing licenses for such operations.
Online Betting Ban in Cambodia
Deputy director Ath Bony of the General Administrative Department told betting software reporters that more Chinese nationals are going out of Cambodia compared to those arriving. The trend started when the government enforced the gambling ban last month.
According to immigration records, around 140,000 Chinese nationals left the country from August 18 to September 7. On the other hand, around 130,000 Chinese nationals arrived at the same time.
Bony told pay per head news sites that there are more Chinese nationals leaving Cambodia since the banning of online gambling. However, he can’t conclude that all of them are leaving the Kingdom.
He noted that the number of departures increases each day. Bony stated the number of new arrivals and departures are stable. However, there were more arrivals than departures before the ban.
The General Department of Immigration told sportsbook PPH news that 32,300 Chinese nationals arrived in Sihanoukville between August 18 and 31. During the same period, there were 36,800 Chinese nationals leaving.
In the first eight months of 2019, there were more than 1.7 million Chinese nationals who arrived in Cambodia. On the other hand, the Department of Immigration recorded 1.6 million departures.
